Dragon Not for Sale: Commodification of Nature, Indigenous Multispecies Politics and Ecotourism from Below in Komodo National Park, Indonesia

Indigenous communities in Komodo National Park challenge exclusionary ecotourism models by asserting kinship with the Komodo dragon, framing it as their 'twin' born from a shared mother—a concept rooted in animist cosmologies. This indigenous multispecies politics offers an alternative to state-corporate fortress conservation, promoting inclusive and locally driven ecotourism. The study employs ethnographic analysis of Ata Modo community interactions with conservation projects, revealing how relational kinship narratives can reshape ecotourism paradigms in protected areas.

Paju Dale, C. J. (2025). Dragon Not for Sale: Commodification of Nature, Indigenous Multispecies Politics and Ecotourism from Below in Komodo National Park, Indonesia. Critical Asian Studies, 57(4), 631–658. https://doi.org/10.1080/14672715.2025.2566488